City Hospice’s Welfare Rights Officer, Leanne McMillan graduates with a Master’s in Social and Public Policy
Working within the Welfare Rights Service, Leanne helps patients access financial support through social security benefits due to the ch
anges in their health, care needs and employment status.
Over the past 2 years, Leanne has been an invaluable part of our Welfare Rights Service. Working within City Hospice Leanne was made aware of the difficulty many people face navigating the benefit system.
Leanne told us,
“People with illnesses and disabilities may be forced to stop working and apply for welfare benefits because of their inability to carry out day-to-day activities. There are so many people who are unable to understand the welfare benefits system, leading to them not claiming entitlements.
My motivation for applying for an MSc in Social and Public Policy was to improve relationships between organisations and support solutions by acting as a trusted advocate between patients and organisations, removing barriers to accessing benefits and reducing stress the patients and their families may face as a result.
The fact that I was able to study through COVID whilst also working full-time is one reason I am even more so proud of this accomplishment and hope by bringing expertise in this field will help enhance the already wonderful work of City Hospice.
When faced with a challenge we can do nothing else but put one foot in front of the other, no matter how small our footsteps keep going”.
